Improvement in wheel-cultivators



L. H. HODGES.

WHEEL-CULTIVATOR.

Patented 0ct.10,1876.

JAMES alossooo & co. BOSTON PATENT QFFIGE.

LUDIA H. HODGES, OF TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WHEEL-CULTIVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,004, dated October10, 1876; application filed July 20, 1875.

{1'0 all whom it may concern:

v Be it known that I, LUDIA H. HODGES, of the county of Tarran t andState of Texas, have invented'a new and useful Machine for Plowing, tobe known as the Lone Star Oultivator and Break-Plow; and I herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the construction and operation of the same,reference being bad to the annexed drawing, making part of thisspecification.

Letter A represents the tongue, which consists of two wooden piecesunited at the front extremity. Each piece is secured to a crossbeam, B,at m :20, elevated, preferably, two feet above the line of the axle O,and forming the center part of said axle.

The axles are made of iron, which elbow perpendicularly upward at asuitable distance from the inside of each wheel, and pass through thecross-beam B and tongue at w and w, and are secured to said crossbeam Bby nuts at the top of each, thus making the said cross-beam B at top apart of the extension of the axle between the wheels. The tongue extendsin rear of this cross-beam B, to the ends of which are attached a fiatiron bar, H, crooked at either lower extremity for a hook on which tosuspend the two double plows P P in turning at the end of the row orwhen otherwise not needed in the ground. Through the top of said ironbar H are two loops, 1 and 2, through which the lines pass. To eitherend of the crossbeam B is attached a staple and spring, 8, which securesa wooden gage or arm, G, to the outer extremity of which gage G ishinged a marker, m, for the purpose of laying off corn-rows.

At the shoulder-boxing of each wheel the axle is made to pass through aniron bar, E, which bar extends upward at right angles to the axle, and,passing through the cross-beam B at G, is secured by a nut at the top.An iron brace, E, extends from the crook of the axle to the inside ofthe tongue. A second brace of same size and material extends from eachouter upright bar E E to the outside of the tongue, and is secured alongwith the other brace by a bolt passing through the tongue at 'v. Areversible clevis, K, is suspended between the upright bar E and theupright portion of the axle by means of two bolts, j j. Said clevis hasthree holes, 0 0 o, in it at top and bottom to receive the clevispin g.The bolts which secure it in place are inserted, preferably, one inchfrom one side and two inches from the other, so that the clevis can beturned over at will, thus elevating or depressing the end of theplow-beam. The bolts which confine the clevis in position can beelevated or lowered, there being two or more holes, 0 0, two inchesapart in the opposite sides of the upright clevis-frame described, thusenabling the operator, by the turning of the clevis over and by theshifting of it in position on the frame, to lower or elevate theplow-beam one inch at a time over a range of three or more inches. Thethree holes 0 0 o in the nine-inch clevis enables the operator to bringthe plows nearer together or farther apart six inches with each clevis,making twelve inches lateral variance for the two double plows. To eachclevis-bolt is attached an iron rod, R, which acts as a washer to theouter side of the clevis, and which project in front of the wheel, andto the end of which is attached the single-tree n. The outer and frontend of said iron rod R is braced to the upper cross-beam by means of achain, which prevents the single-tree from falling to the ground. Theplows L are of steel, preferably, four and one-half inches wide bytwelve inches in length, turned down on the bar side three-quarters ofan inch, so as to act as a brace against the square helve, to which itis attached and secured by means of a single bolt. This turning down onthe bar side strengthens the plow. Either plow can be fitted on eitherhelve by reason of the one bolt and side brace. Four or more plows canbe used, two right-hand and two left-hand. The wooden helves h arestraight and bolted in pairs to two beams, P, and secured by side bracesof iron, the brace and bolt in each case forming but one piece. Thehelve-rod Q is bolted to the beam, with a block inserted to throw it outin line with the plow, and passes through the helve with a tap or out oneither side of the helve, by means of which the helve can be lowered orelevated at pleasure. The side blocks, one and one-half inch thick,

throw the helves six inches apart on each beam. A handle, N, is attachedto the rear end of each beam by a bolt and brace of one piece. Theinterior braces on either plowbeam suspend the plows to the hooks i 'iinturning, &c. The only material used is wood, wrought-iron, and steel.

From this peculiar construction the plows cut and turn, and answer forbreak-plows as well as cultivators. The plows running square upon thebottom like the other break-plows, will break or plow the soil at auniform depth, and leave no intervening ridges between the plows. Eachplow of the size shown is designed to cut and turn five inches, thusmaking twenty inches for the four plows or twenty-five inches for five.By changing and reversing the plows on the beam the operator can eitherbar ofl' or ridge, or both at the same time. The fact that these plowscut and turn makes the draft lighter. It will also be observed that thepower is applied in line with the end of the beam, causing lightness Bydispensing with the use of the of draft.

double-tree the plow is not necessarily turned out of position by unevenpulling, as the power of each horse is extended to the entire number ofplows.

I claim as my invention- 1. The clevis K, having four sides in the formof a parallelogram, and pivoted eccentrically between the vertical barsE F, as set LUDIA H. HODGES. Witnesses:

REUBEN A. MOKINZA, WM. S. HODG-ES.

